MLB News

Seager's GS sets tone for Mariners in big win

By
Greg Johns

May 10, 2018

TORONTO -- Kyle Seager, whose glove helped James Paxton notch a no-hitter on Tuesday, brought noise with his bat on Thursday and bashed a pair of home runs with five RBIs as the Mariners beat the Blue Jays, 9-3, in the series finale at Rogers Centre.Seager launched a first-inning grand

TORONTO -- Kyle Seager, whose glove helped James Paxton notch a no-hitter on Tuesday, brought noise with his bat on Thursday and bashed a pair of home runs with five RBIs as the Mariners beat the Blue Jays, 9-3, in the series finale at Rogers Centre.Seager launched a first-inning grand slam off J.A. Happ and added a solo shot in the fifth off reliever Jake Petricka as the Mariners took two of three from Toronto.

It was Seager's first grand slam since 2015 vs. the Indians, and the first of the year for Seattle.Grand slams mean 40% off pizza"I got a fastball and I was looking to not strike out, so it worked out all right," Seager said. "Bases loaded with two outs, you're just trying to put the ball in play and make something happen. Fortunately for me it had enough to get out."But on a night the Mariners tied their season high with 17 hits, Seager noted this is a far different team than the one that relied heavily on him and Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz to generate offense in previous years."It's been completely different than years past," Seager said. "The energy and amount of talent in the lineup is completely different. You go top to bottom and have guys like Dee [Gordon] and [Jean] Segura just getting on base and wreaking havoc and [Ryon] Healy and [Mike] Zunino hitting at the bottom of your order. It's a completely different dynamic. We score so many different ways than just one of the three of us hitting homers. It's been awesome."

The Mariners are now 8-2-2 in series this year and 5-0-2 in road series as they're off to a 21-15 start, a game and a half back of front-running Houston in the American League West.Segura, bumped into the leadoff spot with Gordon getting a day off to rest a bruised toe, went 4-for-6 and scored twice. Healy hit his sixth home run in the past 11 games and Zunino tacked on an insurance run in the ninth with his sixth homer of the season.

The offensive support was appreciated by right-hander Mike Leake (4-3, 5.72 ERA), who equaled his longest start of the season while allowing two runs on six hits over seven innings."It helps every time," Leake said. "When you get out to a 4-0 lead in the first, it allows you to attack guys a little more aggressively."Leake threw first-pitch strikes to 21 of 26 batters and issued just one walk on the night.

"He has different weapons to get guys out, but it all starts with strike one with him," said manager Scott Servais. "He made two mistakes, two 0-2 pitches, other than that he was really sharp all night."Happ, who pitched for Seattle in 2015, lasted just 3 1/3 innings while giving up seven runs on 10 hits in falling to 4-3 with a 4.80 ERA.MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Blue Jays threatened to get back in the game by loading the bases in the eighth with no outs against relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Chasen Bradford, but lefty James Pazos came on to get a double-play grounder from Yangervis Solarte and then struck out Teoscar Hernandez to keep things under control.

"It's huge for us if he can come in and do that for us later in the games like he has the last 2-3 weeks," Servais said as Pazos ran his scoreless streak to 11 1/3 innings. "That's really a shot in the arm for our bullpen."• Pazos among unsung heroes in AL WestSOUND SMART
Healy wound up going 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Since his return from a sprained ankle, the 26-year-old has hit .333 (17-for-51) with six homers and 12 RBIs in 13 games.

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One reason the Mariners love Guillermo Heredia is his versatility and defensive prowess. The Cuban outfielder showed off his skills with a nice catch up against the wall in center in the sixth on a deep drive by Hernandez. Heredia, filling in at center in place of Gordon, got back in plenty of time to measure the 397-foot shot and pulled it in with a leaping grab to help Leake escape damage with two runners on and one out while protecting his 8-2 lead.

UP NEXTMarco Gonzales (3-2, 5.19 ERA) opens a three-game series against the Tigers in Detroit on Friday at 4:10 p.m. PT against fellow lefty Matthew Boyd (1-3, 3.00 ERA). Gonzales has pitched six innings in each of his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA with 19 strikeouts and three walks. This will be the 26-year-old's first time facing Detroit.